Graduate Writing Group

The main purpose is to establish a long-term community of support during the otherwise often-lonely writing process. My own grad writing group got me through my prospectus, first publications, dissertation and job applications and I'm hoping the same structure can help you too.

Who can participate? Writing group is best suited to students who have finished their course work. However, it is open to any philosophy grads who are working on non-course academic writing. Our focus is on genres such as:

• Prospectus drafts
• Dissertation/thesis chapters
• Conference papers and abstracts
• Journal articles/book reviews
• Job cover letters and related documents

Writing group is absolutely NOT for working on class assignments (too many conflicts of interest). If you are still taking classes but would like to work on non-course academic writing projects, please clear it with me first via email.

Requirements: Your own writing + regular attendance throughout the semester. This is not a course or for a grade, but the format only works when we have presenters and reviewers participate on a regular basis.

Format: On your designated week, you share 5 double-spaced pages of draft writing via email or a google doc. We will read these and provide feedback during the actual meeting itself. The only 'homework' is your own writing.

Focus: On the actual writing over content. This writing group is meant to help you navigate academic genres and express yourself clearly. Yes, this spills over to arguments/ideas, but our entry point is organization, clarity, style etc. For example, we will help you find and refine your thesis/argument but will not argue against your position.

Please contact Dr. Kim De Wolff with any questions or concerns.